Rodholder for Trapper Canoe (Rugged, Simple and Cost Effective)

grabcad

Functionality considerations for this design... (1) User to have very simple control with ability to remove the rod quickly from holder [to work the angling magic] and re-attach quickly. (2) Ensure rod can't accidentally be knocked off the holder. (3) Analogue adjustability through with range of motion on a ball /socket joint - i.e. no digital detents on adjustment mechanism. This was done to fit the brand. Let's face it, open canoes are purposefully back to basics, as is angling. Paddling and fishing are never the same twice so why should the settings be on this unit? (4) Don't damage a shiny expensive canoe - this could end up in painfully expensive return of two products from the same client [the sort of thing gets an engineer sacked, and makes distributors run for the hills]. (5) If it needs instructions it's too complex - I aim that assembly is intuitive when it falls out of the packet. (6) Easy to adjust, remove or re-attach with one hand [without potential for schoolboy error like dropping one's rod and tackle into the drink]. This allows a free hand for landing net, reel work or holding a refreshing tin of beer. (7) Important to minimise scope for tangles, cuts, bruises, snags of line or buoyancy aid, damage to holder, especially when rod not fitted and canoe being lifted / loaded. During use, obviously the rod holder will be receiving more attention, so it's when rod holder is not being used that risk increases. Tried to make product benign when not in use in terms of aesthetics in addition to ergonomics. (8) Include a very simple Bite Indicator... although the 'scissor ball clamp' and associated mechanical advantage / interference has been thought out to be secure enough on it's own, you'll still see the little adjustable cord go taut when there's a nibble. When not using the rod, this cord is stowed by winding round the 2 "gunwale clamp" thumbscrews and popping the ring over the sphere on the clamp. [Sorry, hadn't time to model this bite indicator when stowed]. Materials / Manufacture... (a) Eco credentials very important. Avoid plastics, exception with small bought-in fasteners / bushes. Recycled plastic for structural parts not considered - even large percentage re-grind of a known material = poor repeatability with strength - that's before we get to longevity properties such as UV resistance. Aluminium alloy sand casting chosen for main components... little material waste and possible to recycle almost anything - old crankcases etc. can be used without compromising repeatability. (b) Costs... Sand casting process is relatively low unit cost but gives a durable, rugged product with an old-school feel - the sort of thing you often see in Post 60's industrial designs. For this reason I've unashamedly let aesthetics be governed by manufacture process. This sort of industrial design is becoming popular with fashionistas / upcyclers etc. because it's so rugged, durable and often overlooked by cheap n nasty plastics - all these good attributes fit the trapper's timeless, last-forever image. The Trapper Logo is easily incorporated in multiple places at zero unit cost. Process can be done anywhere in the world with rudimentary equipment. Post processing kept to a minimum, i.e. designed so only a file and a pillar drill are required. Die casting was ruled out... annual Qtys would need to be very high to justify / also prototyping mistakes would be painfully expensive - not so with sand casting. Although I'd love to showcase some nicely rendered CNC work or more complex casting design, this is a real life product that the company need to make money on - setting a part on a VMC or lathe here in the UK is approx GBP40/hr - Same sort of thought process ruled out fabrication work. I love some of the predominantly wood designs already showcased on this challenge [especially Nouamane's #3] but wood woodn't [sic] lend itself to my design. Also maintaining quality could be hard to do for volume sales with complex wood m/c'ing operations or coatings. (c) Designed for saline environment... Dissimilar materials are galvanicly isolated where removal is required. Any plastic fasteners / bushes are made from Acetal. [The most common default plastic for fasteners, Nylon, has high water absorption, swelling causing dimensional instability and residual stress increases - Acetal / POM has same UTS but negligible water absorption]. Even A4 fasteners may suffer against the alu, hence steel threaded fasteners not used on tapped alu parts. Virgin Acetal isn't exactly Eco, but hey they are bought-in low cost items, knocked out on an efficient cost production line, and are light for shipping, represent a small % by weight of product - sorry about this Eco compromise - never know though given some testing you might be able to get away with A4 s/s if conditions aren't so harsh. Another decent compromise for eliminating plastics (subject to corrosion testing) might be to swap out the few Acetal components for Naval Brass C464 - I've taken the safe approach approach with this plastics compromise, but brass or stainless may be fine in reality - the top hat bushes would work well if turned from C464 and if doing this, we'd probably change to fulcrum shaft material to C464 too. (c) Cork 'Wrap' used to cushion & protect gunwale. Quality old-school feel. Natural material fits the brief better than default rubber / PU or closed cell PE foam [Normally I'm guilty of spec'ing such nasties in marine applications]. (d) Design for very simple & cost effective tooling, with scope for optimisiation if changing to die casting in future. (e) Design with manufacture in mind - always tempting to put the rendering first and engineering detail last. I've taken the opposite approach here. All draft angles etc included where required. The idea is that design posted is ready for both quote and prototype manufacture without further ado. (f) Finally, Cord made from hemp - boost the eco credentials over nasty default of nylon cord! No bleach or dye here & no operators choking to death cutting nylon with a hot wire! Also hemp cord will compliment the rugged feel of the sand-cast parts. This sort of rope was probably used back when open canoes were as new school as an Gibb Quadski is today. Importantly, it also looks cool! (f) Another detail not shown - Finish top clamp should be sized for largest rod handle diameter possible. [Or the thing resembling a snooker cue in my renderings]. A selection of cork 'wraps' in various thicknesses should be included with the finished product to accommodate smaller dia rod handles. This allows various rods to be used. [Again, sorry, didn't have time for modelling this and wanted to put more effort into the metal parts' design for manufacture]. Also hope you like the badly modeled rod which conveniently doubles as a snooker cue! I actually did this on purpose because I heard a rumour that Steve Davis spends his spare time paddling up and down the Thames to play at exhibition matches these days and there's nothing he likes better than to dip his line in the water at the same time. SW files are 2014 versions - sorry - I didn't see a drop-down for this.